A heart that hurts is a heart that works
by xodreamer53ox
Summary: The war is over and everyone falls back in their old ways,except Hermione.Scared form what she has been trough the young witch decides to have a fresh start in a ordinary town,Mystic Falls.But she soon finds out normal isn't something that lies ahead.
1. The past shall haunt

**Hi everyone, that's my first crossover so pretty please review and tell me what you think, you'd really make my day ! :) xoxo **

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><p>Chapter One <strong>: The Past Shall Haunt.<strong>

Hermione sighted when she packed her bag. She looked around her empty dorm as someone knocked on her door. She turned around and Harry, Ron, Ginny, Luna and Neville came all in. They all talked for a while, told her goodbye, gave her hugs and kissed and it the end she was left with the two persons she had never thought she would have to say goodbye to.

They all looked at eachother and Hermione could clearly see the hurt and confusion on their faces and the tears in their eyes. Harry stepped on.

"I wish you could stay." Hermione looked down guitly.

"I wish I could too but Harry.. you know I can't."

"I still wish you could." Ron stepped on.

"We will miss you 'Mione.. More than anything."

They all hugged, the three of them standing there, in the empty room for a few minutes until Hermione pulled away, gave them a kiss on the cheeks and went into the fire place while holding her bag. She looked at them and mouthed a 'I love you.' and when they did the same she took some pouder and spoke "Mystic Falls!".

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><p>Since the war was over Hermione couldn't get some of the horrifying memories out of her mind. All the pain she and mostly the people she cared about and loved had to take. Remembering all the deaths that took place in the war Hermione was haunted by the memories, the good ones with the people she had lost and the bad ones with the people they had defeaded.<p>

She inhaled heavily as she opened the door of her new house. She caustiosly closed the door behind her. She let her bag fall on the floor and she started walking around the house.

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><p>In a few hours she had settled in, of course with the help of magic. She may have taken a little time apart from that world but she couldn't give up on magic. It was a part of her, a big one, the one that according to her made her special. And it was even better because recently she had learned how to use wandless magic which was grate in case she lost or someone stole or something happened with or to her wand.<p>

After her apartment was ready and looked like someone was living in it in a while Hermione decided to take a walk around the town.

As it isn't hard to guess, even though she wanted a break, it was still Hermione we were talking about so of course she had already gave her papers and she was up to start school on Monday and considering it was Sunday she really had only one night.

She started walking around the town, most of the streets she walked trough were silent with little shops that were already closed since it was about 11:00 pm ( 23 o'clock).

She stopped when she came to a street that was more populated with lots of noise. There was a bar-grill that was lightened up and she could see plenty of people inside from the windows. She decided this was this town's "Three Broomsticks" or something like that. It pretty much looked like everyone from 13 to 25 was there.

She was about to walk away when she remember she hadn't ate since about a week and she was starving.

Hermione sighted and looked at her breathe in the cold, it was late November and the time here was cold, not as cold as back in England but still.

Hermione cracked the door open and entered the grill, and the moment her foot set place in the bar she regreted it feeling eyes on her but thankfully they looked away quickly enough.

She went to the bar and the bartender a tall blond guy went in front of her with a nice smile.

"Hi, I'm Matt!" He smiled and Hermione forced a half smile on her face. "Can I give you anything?" She looked away for a second then looked back at the friendly guy.

"Umm.. a bier and some fries please?" He nodded and dissapeared in the kitchen for a few minutes but quickly came with a big plate and a glass.

She gave him the money he asked for and she went to sit on a table alone.

She ate her fries as if was her last lunch, hungry as hell. She started looking around, right now talking with Matt, the bartender, was a short blonde girl that stroke her as beautiful. She had a bit more make-up maybe but seemed...diffrent. Hermione, being Hermione noticed a little antique ring on the girl's finger.

Then she spotted a couple, a not short but not tall guy either, that was talking and smiling with a girl that had brown stragh long hair and was verry pretty. And there it was again, the guy was wearing a ring a bit like the one the other girl was. Hermione saw the blond girl frown and go up to another guy with black hair they both looked worried and the blonde girl watched her watch and pushed him and they both left quickly.

Hermione sighted, deciding she was gonna wait up with the meating new people thing a while. When she had lost so mcuh. She was simply not in the mood.

Hermione ate her last frie and got up, looking around the place for the last time as she started leaving. She opened the door leading outside as a guy entered pushing into her. She looked up and stared at a tall guy, with black hair and crystal blue eyes. She looked very strange and she quickly saw he was wearing a simual ring. Was that fashion in this town or what?

He looked pass her and right to the couple she had seen earlier, his eyes drifting to the girl with brown hair. He frowned and went inside while pushing Hermione on the way. She glared at him and left.

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><p>Hermione was walking down the streets on her way home, feeling cold. She was almost there, just a few block away when she heard screams coming from the forest. She started running as fast as she could to her house which was ironiclly very close to the forest.<p>

The screams had stopped and she was breathing heavily. She was about to decide she had imagined everything when she heard noises again, but not screams, no, she heard a... wolf?

Then after she heard that she heard a girl screaming "TYLER! TYLER IT'S ME! TYLOR! SHHH! TYLOR COME DOWN!" Hermione's eyes widened and she quickly took her wand out of her boot.

She started running as fast as she could, she was getting inside the forest and she stopped listening to the destination of the screams. She looked up at the sky and saw it was a full moon which should help her see but suddenly the screams where over and she could only hear barking.

Then she heard a voice, the girl's voice from earlier "Good. I'm so sorry Tyler. Your gonna be okay.. I promise, you'll see.." Hermione walked around knowing she was close to these people but in some time she gave up and started running home.

She was running trought the forest and once out she felt relieve rush trought her. Since the war, forests weren't her favorite places to spend time.

She was already out and she started running, she arrived and started walking towards her house when she heard noise, she quickly turned around her wand in hand but to only see a black jacket dissapearing into the forest with the blink of an eye.

Hermione frowned and quickly ran to her house going inside, she locked the doors and went into her room.

She sat on the bed thinking everything over. Tomorrow was her first day of school. She had seen strange things here.

Wherever she looked Hermione saw things that reminded her of her past life at Hogwarts, then the war, then the deaths, sacrifices, then again Hogwarts all the happy moments spent with people she loved, people she called family, those long summer at the Burrow, then the funirals of her loved one, the blood, the fights, the danger and the fear, the loyalties and the betrayals, then Christmases spended with Harry and Ron in the comfort and safety of Hogwarts, under the protection of Dumbeldore.

How young they were before the war.. how innocent even after what they have survived in the past, how united and how strong. How strong.

Those thoughts took control of her and she felt herself drift to sleep, as the last thing she saw was a black crow watching her from the tree outside.

Yes, the past shall haunt, but the future is just as unclear and dangerous.


	2. And so we must go on

**Okayy.. so I'm home alone, bored to death and I figured out I may as well work something right (: Here it is and Thanks SOOO much to everyone who reviewed I really appreciate me and I hope and ask you to keep reviewing because it's the reason I write this much xoxo**

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><p>Chapter Two <strong>: And so we must go on.<strong>

Hermione screamed and qiockly woke up to the sound of taping. Another nightmare. She was breathing hard, sweat running down her spine. She looked around and gasped silently as she saw a black crow sitting at the edge of her window.

Hermione jumped out of bed and ran to her window making hand gestures for the crow to leave. "Shoo! Shoo!" She hissed and the crow looked at her then flew away.

Maybe if it was any other person they would think it's just some bird but it wasn't just any other person. It was Hermione Granger. And who was she to say it was **just **an animal, when she could look as **just **a girl but she was so much more, she was witch and she really learned not to judge things from the way they look.

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><p>Hermione pushed her hair back and looked at herself in the mirror. Her light brown curls were falling to her shoulder and her brown eyes were looking back, looking darker than before, but they have been this way ever since the war...<p>

Hermione sighted and put her bag over her shoulder. She was wearing blue jeans and a dark purple T-shirt. It was so weird wearing muggle clothes at school..

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><p>Hermione walked to school since she hadn't bought a car yet. When she arrived she was relieved and walked to the front doors. She pushed them open and started looking for her locker. When she found it she cracked it open and then she heard it.<p>

"Are we going to the grill tonight?" It was the same voice Hermione had heard the previous night screaming and calling that guy's name. She turned around to find it coming from the same blonde girl that was at the bar last night with a guy and they have left worried. For a reason, obviously.

Hermione looked back in her locker using a spell to overhear the conversation.

"Caroline, what is going on with you and Tyler?" She heard another voice.. Tyler.. Tyler! That was the name the blonde girl, Caroline.. was calling out the previous night.

"Nothing. We're just friends.."

"All of the sudden.. You didn't even use to speak friendly until a two weeks ago.." Hermione saw that the other girl was the one with the boyfriend from the grill.

"We just grew closer.." Defended Caroline.

"You haven't told him about.. you know..."

"No.. of course not.." Over Hermione's excperence during the war she could tell that Caroline was lying about whatever she had told.

The bell rang and Hermione closed her locker.

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><p>Hermione sat in class for the first time in her life bored. Once the bell rang she exahled relieved and started putting her books back into her bag.<p>

School was almost over, so she walked to her locker. She opened it and saw the picture of her, Harry and Ron she had hung on in it. They were in their sixth year, Hermione was between the two of them, hugging them, it was on a Hogsmead trip so they were wearing muggle clothes and it was almost summer, all three were laughing.

Hermione felt the tears in the back of her eyes and she quickly blinked them away. "Hey."

She turned around to see a familiar girl with straight brown hair, the one that was talking with Caroline earlier. "Hello.." She mumbled back.

"Nice photo. Are those your brothers?" Asked the girl and Hermione felt more tears.

"No, my best friends..." She said and quickly closed her locker door.

The girl looked akwardly. "Umm.. I'm Elena, Elena Gilbert." She smiled and Hermione looked closely at the girl. She like this Elena person..

"Hermione Granger." They shoke hands and Elena smiled.

"Listen.. Hermione.. we are going to the grill tonight, me and some friends, would you like to join us? You know, get to know some people out of the school atmosphere?"

Hermione found the offer nice but she wasn't sure if she was up for it. "I'd love to.. but I got some things to care care of first.. maybe I'll show up later, I know where it is."

Elena nodded with understanding in her eyes. "It's okay.. well, if you decide to show up, it's around 19 pm." Hermione nodded her turn and smiled then the bell rang and they both went their ways.

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><p>Hermione wondered how she got here. Then she remembered. The war.<p>

She was sitting on the bedroom floor of her house, crying her heart and eyes out. She was sobbing so loudly she was happy she didn't have any neighbors. She put her hands over her mouth and closed her eyes letting the tears fall.

She looked up to another photo of her, Harry and Ron that was hanging above her table. This time it was taken in the Burrow over the summer before their fifth year.. when they still didn't know Voldemort was gonna get this strong. In this one they were sitting in the garden and Hermione was in the middle again laughing while Harry and Ron were smiling widely at her.

She felt another cry session coming and she let the tears flood her eyes. Why? Why did it have to happen? She wanted to be with them, to go back.. but she just couldn't handle it.

Hermione looked outside the window only to see the same black crow but this time she didn't have the strenght to go up and 'shoo' it away. "Get out! Get out of here!" She sobbed and as if the bird understood her it flew away.

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><p>Hermione pushed the door of the grill open. It was 20 pm and she directly spotted the table at which Elena and her friends where sitting. Hermione had used magic to be sure her eyes weren't as tired and red anymore.<p>

She walked up to the table, pulling off one of her best fake smiles that she had practiced millions of times infront of the mirror after the war.

Elena looked up with a smile. "Heyy! You made it!" She smiled and hermione smiled back.

"Yeah.. I was not in the mood to lay in bed." Elena laughed lightly.

"Well, let me intruduce you. Hermione this is Bonnie," She said pointing to a young beautifull girl "Caroline, Tyler and Stefan my boyfriend." Hermione looked at all of them then her eyes fell on Stefan.. he looked familiar. Stefan himself frowened her way as if he had recalled something then quickly covered it up and smiled nicely.

Hermione stayed with them for a while chatting mostly small talk and lies since she couldn't exactly tell them she come from a school for wizards and ect...

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><p>Hermione was sitting on the stairs in fron of the grill when she heard steps behind her. She turned around and she saugh Elena, rapped up in a black jacket.<p>

"Hey.." She said as she sat down next to Hermione. "Aren't you cold?" Hermione shooked her head. "I don't get cold easily.." _Since I've been hiding in forests for about an year, been tortured and lasted deaths that should have never took place. _

Elena nodded. "Is everything alright Hermione? You really look.. troubled.." Hermione looked down and shooked her head.

Elena sighted. "My parents died last year.. in a car accident I was in.. but I survived.. and they didn't.. I don't see how it's fair.." She spoke and Hermione looked at her with suprise. " I understand." She simply said and Elena offered her a comforting smile.

"If you need someone to speak to.. I know what rough is." She smiled and got up, Hermione mimicked her move and they both went inside.

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><p>Hermione turned around and so did everyone else on the table.<p>

"Damon." Spoke Stefan and Hermione saw the same guy she had pushed in last night. He was tall, handsome, with black hair and blue vivid eyes, wearing a black leather jacket.

"Hello borther, sorry I'm late." He said as he sat and eyed Hermione. "And this is?" Elena looked at him with suspection. "Hermione." Hermione spoke and he seemed satisfide.

"This is Damon, Stefan's brother." Said Caroline and Damon winked. Hermione looked down.

"I have to go though.." She said and they looked at her. "I'm tired.. I'll see you all tomorrow, it was very nice meeting you." She said getting up and leaving after everyone said goodbye.

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><p>Hermione was walking down the street when she heard someone follow her. She stopped dead in her track and tightened her grip on her wand. "Lumos." She said and the light immediatly showed up. She looked around but saw nothing. "Nox." She said not wanting to look suspicious.<p>

She kept walking when her heard steps. "Hello."

She turned around sharply but relaxed when she saw it was that Damon guy. "Umm.. Hi."

"Come on, I'll walk with you." He said and Hermione eyed him. "My brother made me the twit, to make sure your safe and bullshit."

"Thanks but I can take care of myself." She answered coldly.

"Good, cuz I really don't know if I'd save your ass when it comes down to it."

"I value honesty." She said and shook her head as she continued walking.

He quickly got up.

"Where are you from?"

"England."

"Why did you move here?"

"Cuz I had my reasons which aren't any of your busness."

Damon nodded and they kept walking for a while. "I wanted to get away from some things.." She said and he looked at her intrigued.

"What things?"

"That's as far as I go tonight.. maybe someday I might tell you." He laughed lightly.

"So.. since when are you inlove with your brother's girlfriend?" Hermione asked and Damon looked at her shocked.

"I'm not."

"Sure you are." She laughed. He frowned.

"How do you know?" Hermione laughed bitterly.

"I know these things.." She quickly recalled Harry and the way he use to look at Ginny.

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><p>They walked around for a while and int he end reached her house.<p>

"I'll see you around." Said Damon.

"Bye." She mumbled as she entered the house and closed the door behind her.


	3. Not fragile like that

**I know it's been a while but I've been busy yet here it is ! Thanks to everyone who reviewed and keep doing that it really makes me wanna write (: I hope you like it xx**

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><p>Chapter Three : <strong>Not fragile like that.<strong>

Hermione whimpered and she shoke up abrutly. Nightmare. What a shock. She shook her head and while shaking she saw that ver same black crow on her windows again.

She turned her bedside table lamp on and to the windows opening it, looking straigh into the crows eyes.

"What do you want from me ? I don't have anything left so what the bloody hell do you want from me ?" The crow looked at her with such intellegent eyes that it scared her a bit. It looked at her as if it could comprehend every word she would spek to it. Then it .. nodded ? and flew away.

Hermione sighed, returning under the covers, shutting her eyes close and trying to breathe steady.

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><p>It was her second week at school and classed were pretty much as boring as the first day, the only change was when the biology teacher came in class with a frog that escaped it's cage and started jumping around scaring half of the girls and making the guys laugh their guts out while Hermione was just starring blanky letting a few chuckles out.<p>

At lunch she sat with Elena, Caroline, Stefan and Bonnie, obviously even though Tyler was their friend he wasn't a part of the group.

They were sitting on a table outside, chatting when someone sat next to Bonnie. "Damon." They all said and he smiled.

"The one and only." Hermione rolled her eyes at him. What was he, the new Draco Malfoy or something ?

Suddenly Hermione felt something in her pocket move and she saw the glass that Harry and Ron had given her so that they would be able to connect her. She gasped and everyone looked at her.

"Are you okay ?" Asked Elena and Hermione only nodded.

"Better, I'll be right back." She quickly ran off, hiding behind a tree, and when she made sure there was no one around she got the glass out.

"HERMIONE !" She smiled wildly at Harry and Ron who were looking at her.

"Harry ! Ron !" They both smiled.

"How is it there 'Mione ? Too boring without us ?" Hermione laughed at Ron. "You know it." They both chuckled.

"But really, how is it ? How are you ? What have you been up to ?" Hermione smiled.

"It's.. nice, I'm good.." "LIAR!" She heard Ron and laughed "And nothing, meeting new people mostly."

"No one better than us, eh ?"

"No one, ever." She said and they both smiled. Just as she was about to say something she heard foodsteps behind her.

"Someone's coming, I'll call you later!" The glass went back to normal as someone put their hand on her shoulder she jumped and glass slightly cut her hand.

"Damn it !" She put the glass in her pocket again and looked at her hand where from blood was pouting out now, she looked up at Damon who was starring at her hand, his eyes blood red.

"Damon, your face, are you okay ?" On his cheeks, all the way up to his eyes, were blood red veins and Hermione had to say they didn't look quit normal.

He shook his head and cough, "Yeah, I-I'm fine, let's go." They went back to the table where another two pair of eyes stared at her hand, Stefan and Caroline's.

Elena got up, "Come, let's go wash your hand." They went into the bathroom where Elena started helping her close the cut.

"Was Damone alright ? His face was.."

Elena cough, "Umm.. he's fine.. just a little tense.. he's.. Damon." Hermione frowened.

"It looked like there was something about my.. about blood." Hermione was starting to feel creeped out. During the war, at the final battle, she had fough vampires at all of them had looked the same way when someone had a wound and there was blood and naturally they were thursty.

Elena looked at her wide-eyed, with fear in her eyes. Hermione shook her head and they both went back to the table.

Hermione got up, "I have to go.." She spoke with a shaky voice.

"Oh, well, see you at the grill tonight ? 20 pm ." Hermione nodded at Elena, took her bag and started walking away, hearing something fall of her bag but not caring about some notebook right now.

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><p>Hermione sat in her bed, in her room, in her house, in her <strong>normal <strong>town. She was shaken up from the excperience.. Why did Damon look so much like thos.. vampires she had fough. But she quickly shook the though away, he was human ofcourse, everyone here was normal, that's why she was here after all, right?

She got up on her feet, opening her wardrobe she pulled out a pair of black jeans and a light pink top, pulled her hair up on a ponytale and as she started walking down the stairs to get her black jacket she started humming a muggle song to herself

"_Just because I'm loosing, doesn't mean I'm lost, doesn't mean-" _She heard someone knock on her door and she frowened as she started walking towards it.

"_Just because I'm hurting, doesn't mean I'm hurt, doesn't mean I didn't get, what I deserved-" _She stopped singing as she opened the doors and her eyes went wide open.

"Damon?"

"Nice song, what is it?"

"Lost by Coldplay, what are you doing here?"

"You have a beautiful voice."

"Thank you, what are you doing here?"

He sighted and smirked lightly, "I wanted to apologize for earlier, I realize my actions may have seemed a bit.. strange."

She raised her eyebrows. Damon stepped closer to her, looking her straight in the eyes ." You saught nothing, I was acting completly normal, there was nothing unusual, got it?"

Hermione frowened and laughed nervously, "Got it, but are you okay? I mean it's your trying to make me think what you said or something." She said raising her eyebrows.

Damon coughed as he looked at her from head to tow.

Hermione's eyes travelled carefully trough his face until she took a deap breathe "Do you wanna take a walk, we have about one hour or something until it's time for the grill.?"

Damon nodded, Hermione grabbed her jacket, her keys and went out with him after locking the door carefully and whispering the protection charm under her breath.

They started walking around town, it was little enough and peacefull even though they were people outside on the street.

"So, what was back home like? Tell me the last big event that happened in your life?" Hermione bit her lip recalling the screams, Ron's screams when he found out Fred was death.. Harry's screams when he saw Lupin and Thonks, when he saw the Weasley crying over theyr son's body, her own screams when she saw the place she loved being distructed, when she saw the people she loved the most being hurt or killed..

"Nothing special..You? What have you been up to?" Damon seemed like he was suddenly recalling something as well.

"Nothing special.." He mimicked her own words.

"Have you ever lost soemone close?" She asked and Damon looked at her suprised.

"My gold fish.. great loss." Hermione rolled her eyes and he chuckled.

"Fine, yes, I have, my feather died when me and Stefan were- young, he died in an accident.. he and I, we had.. diffrent.. ways of thinking you can call it."

Hermione nodded and Damon turned to her, "Me too, my best friend's brother, we knew eachother since i was eleven, my.. a lot of people I knew died recenlty..actually." Damon looked at her for a few seconds.

"Sorry, was there a war or something?" She knew he was joking but she cough her breath and faked a laugh that turned out even worse than she though.

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><p>In about an hour they entered the grill where everyone else already was, they all looked at them and in a few minutes when Hermione went to the restroom on her way out she pushed into Stefan.<p>

"Sorry." She mumbled but he only looked at her.

"Do want to come outside for a minute?" Hermione looked ta him unsure then nodded lightly.

They went next to the door. "I saw you come in with Damon." Stefan stated and Hermione nodded.

"Yes I did." She said after he didn't say anything.

"Hermione I'm not sure Damon is the best company for you at the moment.. he isn't.. what he seems to be."

Hermione narrowed her eyes. "No one is." Stefan nodded in agreement.

"My though is you should probably stay away from him..for now." Hermione nodded bitterly.

"Thanks for the advice but I call my own shots." She turned around to leave but Stefan grabbed her by the waist and made her turn around again as she looked at him fiercly.

"Let. Go." She said with a silent but steady voice full of hatred.

"I just don't want you to get hurt." He said in a honnest voice.

"Thanks but I can take care of myself." She said ending theyr conversation as she pulled her hand away fiercly and walked back to the table.

Stefan stayed behind, looking at her and he sighted and shook his head. "No matter what happened, she's still naive sometimes." He said to himself before walking back.

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><p>After they ate and talked for a while, Hermione got up. "I'm tired so I'll be heading home." She said with a smile, everyone told her bye and she walked away, just as she was outside she remembered she forgot her jacket, she went back to take it and she saw Bonnie and Elena talking in a corner, she used a spell to over-hear the conversation.<p>

"_I'm telling you Elena!" _

_"But- Are you sure Bonnie? She seems so nice.."_

_"I'm sure ! There is something up with Hermione, i don't know what but I felt stron emotions and I also felt.."_

_"What?"_

_"Nothing, i was probably wrong.."_

_"Bonnie."_

_"I felt magic." Elena's eyes went wide._

_"You were probably mistaken.." At this moment Bonnie turned and looked straight at Hermione who quickly pretended she was looking for something in her pocket as she went back to the table._

"Forgot my jacket." She said as she picked it up from her chair. "Damon?"

Damon looked up at her "Yes love?"

"Don't call me that and.. walk me home?"

Stefan gave her a warning look she ignored and Caroline looked between her and Damon.

"Of course love."

"Don't Damon."

Damon smirked like he always did and got up smiling at Stefan.

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><p>Damon and Hermione were walking to Hermione's house as she finally asked what she needed to know to be safe.<p>

"What do you know about Bonnie?" Damon frowened at her.

"Where are you going with this? What should I know about Bonnie?"

Hermione bit her lip, "She just reminds me of those.. wicthes you know, I don't know she just does, like her look and all, she looks familiar."

Damon looked at her as he grabbed Hermione by the wrist and made her stop walking. "That's stupid, there's no such thing."

Hermione raised her eyebrows. "How do you know? Everything is possible even..nevermind.."

Damon's eyes went wide "Even what?"

Hermione though wheather she should say it, she's been thinking about it for a while now.

"Nothing." She shook her head and then recalled Damon's blood red eyes.

"Even, vampires."

Damon let go of her wrist "Your crazy." He said as he started walking away.

"Am I Damon? Am I?" She shouted after him but he just kept walking.

"Damon Salvatore ! Be a man and face me you git!" In a blink of an eye he was next to her and Hermione cough her breath.

"Drop it Hermione. Just **drop it. It's crazy." **Hermione nodded.

"The world is crazy."

Damon took her wrist again but this time much harder and it started to hurt her. "Don't butt in in something that's not any of your business. Goodbye Hermione Granger."

He let go and walked away dissapearing into the fog and Hermione rubbed her wrist.

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><p>What did that mean? What did all that mean? Was it true? Her crazy though he's a vam.. no ! Of course not but there was definatly something up and Hermione wasn't letting it go.<p>

She slid under her covers fur the first time seing that the black crow wasn't on her window.


	4. The truth always comes out

**Hey, I know, It's been in ages since I last updated and I'm very sorry, school and problems are taking the most of me and my time right now but I wanna give BIG thanks to everyone who reviewedm really, it means a a hell of a lot me, so THANK YOU ALL ! And I hope you like this chapter and please review what you think !xx**

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><p>Chapter Four : <strong>Never have I ever...<strong>

Damon hadn't talked to her since about a week and had avoid her in every possible way. She was getting tired of this, fine, maybe she had spoke some fairly crazy things to him, such as suggesting he was a vampire but who could blame her really? The world she had grown and lived in wasn't exactly sane either.

Whats so ever, she was really tired of it and she decided it was about time to approach him and talk, _Tonight, at Elena's. _she thought.

Everyone was going over to Elena's place to.. well do something, talk and stuff and Hermione looked at this as an opprutenity to make up with Damon. It's not like she was close with him but he was the only person who didn't make her feel all weird, well, he and Elena anyways.

Stefan was acting weird since they met, always speaking to her as if he knew her or something and well, let's say, that had kept her away from him a good time.

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><p>She was now sitting on Elena's couch in her house, waiting for Damon to show up, and like following the script he did 3 minutes later.<p>

Everyone was sitting around the warm living room as the cold outside grew even colder. The trees had lost all their leaves being early December already.

Hermione drank from the hot cocoa in her mug and as soon as Damon went in the kitchen to bring more food she made an excuse and followed.

Once she stepped on the kitchen floor he sharply turned around and narrowed his eyes at her.

"List, Damon, I realize I might have came on a little strong at you last time and well.. I'm sorry." She said in one breathe waiting for him to say something.

"No, why would you think telling me I'm a freaking vampire would freak me out?" He replied with a sarcastic smile.

"You probably think I'm crazy.." She breathed out waiting for him to say 'no'.

"Probably." He said instead making her want to punch him in the beautiful face.

"Why'd you think I was a vampire in the first place? I mean, how do you even believe in those things?" He asked and Hermione could clearly sense he was playing with her, only trying to know how she _knows _about vampires...so, it was true? He knew about them too..

She laughed placing a hand on her forehead. "I don't _bealieve _in vampires Damon." She said trough a gentle laugh.

Damon frowened looking at her as if she was crazy and a liar. ( I think you know Damon's looks)

"Then why did you..."

"I don't _believe _in vampire Damon, I _know _they exist." She suddenly stopped laughing "And it's just a matter of time.."

"What is?" He asked with a serious exspression while Hermione only smirked at him, took the plate in her hand and turned around walking into the living room.

* * *

><p>Everyone was sitting on the couches talking and laughing.<p>

"I have an idea!" Said Caroline with a grin. Hermione laughed lightly, she liked Caroline, she seemed the most honest and light person of all.

Once everyone was listetning to her she spoke. " Let's play never have I ever !"

Hermione frowened, she was muggle but she still lived in the wizard world most of the time so some teenage games and things like this she had missed on.

Everyone groaned. "No way, last time you and I had to drive everyone to there homes since they were all drunk!" Elena said and everyone laughed at her pouty face.

Caroline rolled her eyes. "Oh please ! Besides, I've done things since the last time we played, so I probably will be drunk as well !." She winked elbowing Tyler who looked at her with eyes full of love as he chuchkled. "Then again, you probably will still drive us home Elena. " She joked, winking at Stefan and everyone errupted in laughs once again.

"Fine, fine!" Screamed Elena putting her hands up. "Let's play."

"Can anyone explain this game?" Hermione said, and everyone looked at her suprised. It's been some time since she was here but she couldn't help but feel like a totall outsider, she was diffrent after all.

"Sure.. well, everyone has a glass of whine and someone says Never have I ever and something they've never done and everyone who's done it drinks." Caroline said with a smile and Hermione smiled back.

"Got it."

Bonnie went in the kitchen and came back with the glasses of whine.

"I'll go first !" Shouted Caroline excited. " Never have I ever kissed a celebrity."

Everyone rolled their eyes. "What?" She asked hurt.

"That's stupid no one has done it Car." Said Elena and Hermione suddenly recalled the Yule Ball with Viktor Krum.

She drank from her glass and everyone looked at her. Elena and Caroline raised their eyebrows with smiles. "He isn't world famous, but there's a weir sport where I come from and he was a champion in it.."

Damon suddenly took his glace. "Never have I ever accused someone of being a mythical creature." He said glaring at Hermione. She bit her lip and drank, everyone looking confused.

Damon took his glass again "Never have I ever ran from something." He looked at Hermione again and she felt tears hit the back of her eyes as she drank a big sip.

This time she took her glass "Never have I ever.. been inlove with..." Suddenly she shut up, she couldn't, yes Damon was taking things too far but she couldn't do this to him nor Elena nor Stefan. "Never have I ever been inlove with someone I had a simple life and relationship with."

At this she was suprised to see absolutly everybody in the room drink, big time. Elena smiled at Stefan, Caroline and Tyler grined at eachother, Bonnie and Jeremy laughed and Damon looked at Elena for a second than seemed to recall something.

In about an hour a lot of people were drunk and Caroline raised her glass. "Never have I ever... saved the wrold." She said as a joke and everyone laguhed but no one saw Hermione drink her seventh glass at this, almost no one, except Damon and Stefan.

* * *

><p>Hermione knew she was drunk, she could feel it. Damn, there were a lot of things she had done.<p>

She was walking all dipsy as she felt someone take her by the waist and take her bridestyle. She looked up to see Damon rolling his eyes.

"Come on drunky, I'll take you home." He joked and Hermione laughed.

In about 15 minutes they came to a stop and she stepped on her feet feeling a bit better now. "Thanks." She said with a small smile. Damon nodded and turned to walk away.

Hermione went inside. "Damon wait!" She shouted and he turned around.

"What is it?"

"Do you..wanna come in?" She asked and he smirked.

"Sure." He said going inside as Hermione closed the door behind him.

"I'll make some coffe, be right back." She said going inside the kicthen.

She started boiling the water as she saw a kitchen knife on the table. She had to know the truth. Now.

She went into the living room with a bleeding cheek. "Can you help me wash it, I mean hold the ice for me?" She asked, Damon turned around confused and the moment he saugh her cheek his eyes went wide.

"What happened?"

"I tripped and cut myself, clumsy me." She pretending to feel sorry and be in pain. Since the war it was really hard for her to feel physicsal pain, thankfully, to mainten the balance she felt two time more psychycal pain.

"I"m not sure, I'm not good with blood, since I was 9." He said but Hermione wasn't giving up.

She went and sat on the coutch next to him, pushing her hair on one side of her neck so the other one was completly clear, the blood from her cheek streaming down her neck.

"The thing is I'm not good with blood too, oh well. Just tell me, is it much?" She asked going so close to him she could feel him breathe on her neck.

**She was so close Damon could hear her heartbeat. He tried to control himself, but it wasn't only her blood. He was attracted to her, to her brown curls, her big brown knowing eyes that gave away so much, the way she spoke, her laugh.. **

She saw those red veins appear on his face again before his lips were on her neck and she felt his teethe sink in her skin more blood pooring out.

_I knew it. _She pulled away quickly, using wandless magic to heal both her cheek and her neck.

"Tell me again your human." She said looking at him.

"I can explain."

"What? Your human but you just bite people and drink their blood? I don;t think so.."

"How do you know about vampires anyways?" He asked intrested.

Hermione breathed out. Damn it! She had hoped he wouldn't ask but.. now she had to tell him everything, didn't she?

"I'm.. I'm a witch." She said, she was waiting for him to look suprised but he only rolled his eyes.

"Another one." He said. Another one? There was another witch?

"What? Who's a witch?"

"Bonnie."

Hermione nodded taking her wand out.

"What's the stick for?" He asked raising his eyebrows.

"It's a wand." She said like it was the most obvious thing ever, and for her, well, it was.

"Where'd you get it?"

"Damon, I'm more like a wizard if you'd like. Witch but I'm diffrent from Bonnie."

"Witch, wizard, all the same to me." He said getting up.

"Sit down." She said making eye contact.

"Why?"

"I told you I'm a witch but you can't tell anyone."

"Why not Hermione? It's obvious we're fine with it, I'm a vampire, so is Stefan, so is Caroline, Bonnie's a witch and Tyler's a bloody werewolf, we're not the definition of normal either."

"You don't uderstand !"She cried out and for the first time Damon stopped and sat down. "If someone finds out I'm here.."

"Alright, tell me everything."

Hermione nodded blinking the tears away as she sat down next to him. This was gonna be a long night, she thought as she decided she was going to tell him everything, about Hogwarts, Voldemort, Harry, Ron, the war, The Burrow, her life.. things she's never even tried to make out in words bcause they were too much, only Harry and Ron and all the other people on her life knew everything she had gone trought and now Damon was going to know too.

She only hoped she could trust him but he was a vampire which meant he could keep a secret and he wasn't killing people which meant he wasn't all evil.

"I'll tell you my story, if you tell me yours after." She suggested taking her place next to him.

"Deal. Start talking." He said with a smile. Hermione nodded. This was going to be long night, she thought again.

* * *

><p><strong>Sooo? I know this chapter wasn't that good but I'm really tired and I have school tomorrow and excuse me if I have a lot of typing errors and stuff and I promise the next one will be much much better ! Just review please, if you have any ideas for the story, tell me ! xx<strong>


	5. Before the Dawn

Chapter Five : **Before The Dawn **

Hermione closed her mouth and eyed him suspiciously. He was looking at her for a few seconds until he turned his head around his sight traveled from something on the wall to her. Hermione followed his look to see what he had seemed interested in and smiled slightly.

That "something" had been a framed pictured hanging on the wall. One more of her, Harry and Ron. She was once more between the two boys, Ron was laughing so hard that his cheeks and ears had turned almost the same color as his head, Harry's smile was bright and his eyes had no scars and loneliness in them. And finally Hermione, she had a thick book in her lap and her hands were around the boys' shoulders. Her hair was up in a messy bun and her cheeks red and fluffy.

Hermione felt tears hit the back of her eyes, she took her wand out of her boot and pointed in to the framed picture that suddenly took life. Ron was now in fits of laughter, Harry was shaking his head with a bright loving smile and Hermione was laughing, her laugh like a thousand little bells, she was pulling the boys closer to her, looking from one to another they all laughed and Hermione looked down at her laps.

Damon's eyes widened for a second but then he returned his usual smirk. "Catchy."

Hermione nodded and stopped the moving picture to a still position again. "Those are Harry and Ron, I suppose?"

Hermione nodded once more, not really able to do something else, neither did she know what. She had told Damon the hole story, trough her life so far, from 1st year to the last. She had shattered a few tears here and there, mainly at the war part but tried to keep herself come throughout most of it .

Damon had also told her his, which she had to admit, she was pretty shocked even after being a witch. That Katherine must of been beautiful.. _What am I saying? She looks just like Elena! _thought Hermione .

Hermione suddenly felt very vulnerable and got up sharply. "I think this was enough talk for one night. We both agree to keep out mouths shut.. Maybe you should go."

Damon raised his eyebrows. It looked like he was about to say something but then he just closed his mouth and left.

Hermione looked around her. She was standing in an empty living room, next to a coffee table and she could heart a clock ticking. She was alone. Like she always was these past few months. Even when surrounded by people. She felt like that little girl inside her who's dreams were reachable and who believed in everything including herself, who always smiled and felt alive was long gone. Hermione felt dead inside. Like a huge hole was punched trough her chest and every second was day was a battle and she couldn't fight anymore. She felt like she was wasting away, falling into a limitless gap and there was no one to catch her.

Her legs got even weaker and she fell. She fell on her knees and tears started pouring out of her eyes. She was crying so hard now, she didn't even know why. Or rather had too many reasons. Out of the blue she started shaking and her cried got louder so she placed her hand over her mouth and crawled in a ball.

Suddenly the door opened and she heard someone come it. She looked up, trying to get a focus on the room, everything was blurry and she was suffocating.

"I forgot my jacket." Hermione heard Damon's shocked voice.

She nodded slightly ad forced a smile on her face but then she couldn't even keep it together. It felt like her life was this puzzle of broken pieces and whenever she'd fit one of the pieces together another would fall apart. She was like a broken vase that couldn't be fixed. Her sobs got louder and louder and she shaked from the chill that got send up her spine.

She thought of what an idiot she must look like, falling apart in front of someone who sees her as a snack .

She felt someone's arms wrapping around her, someone's chin was now resting on her head and whispering. "Shhhhh, take it easy"

She looked up as much as she could and saw Damon's raven hair. He was on the floor right next to her.

* * *

><p>When Hermione opened her eyes she was in her own bed and it was morning. She would worry she'd be late for school if it wasn't the weekend.<p>

Sunshine was creeping trough her curtains, calling her to awake, putting light in her room. She raised her head a bit to see a mug on her bedside table. Apparently it was filled with burning liquid since there was steam coming of it. She peeked inside and saw a black liquid. Coffee. Perfect.

A little sheepish smile found itself to her dry lips and she hungrily took the mug in between her hands, carefully watching for it not to fall while she was getting up. She spread her fingers around the hot mug, letting her palm warm up. She closed her eyes and breathed in the sent of coffee with a little bit sugar. Another small smile spread on her lips. She loved coffee. She brought the mug closer to her lips and took a sip letting the liquid burn the top of her tongue and then sprawl into her mouth warming up her throat, beckoning her to wake up.

She went down the stairs to the kitchen stopping on her way a few times to drink some more.

She was surprised when in the kitchen she found Damon standing over the fridge. She coughed slightly to catch his attention and he turned around raising his eyebrows.

"The sleeping beauty was awoken." He stated going back to looking for whatever he was looking for in her fridge.

"What are you doing here?" Hermione asked as she pulled on of the chairs on the kitchen table and sat on it, leaving the coffee on the table, she hugged her knees and then drank some more of the burning content of her mug.

"Be nicer, after all I am the one who made you coffee **and** just made breakfast. "

"Oh." She looked down somehow embarrassed because of how she had broken down the previous night. "I'm sorry for.."

Damon's smug smile came off for about as much time as it took him to say "Don't sweat it." Something in his eyes, something that she hadn't seen before appeared for a second or two.

Hermione only nodded slightly. "Sooo, what'you cooking there?" She said in an attempt to fix the mood in the room.

"My famous dish, it's been in my family for centuries."

Hermione raised her eyebrows.

"Macaroni and cheese !" Hermione laughed, for the first time honestly since.. the war.

Damon smiled. "Love, are you making fun of my Macaroni and cheese?" Damon said faking a British accent.

"Wouldn't dream of it!" Chuckled Hermione. "By the way, your British accent sucks, _love." _She giggled.

"No you did not!" Suddenly Damon let the plate down and started walking towards Hermione who only got up and started running away like a 5 year old.

Damon chased after her as she jumped off of the couch and in 2 seconds he was in front of her smirking.

"Hey ! No fair! Your a vampire!" Then she turned around and started running away again and laughing like a 4 year old. She felt a pair of strong arms wrapping themselves around her waste, lightly picking her off the floor and she started kicking with her feet in the air.

She kept screaming and laughing as Damon tackled her to the floor and chuckled. "I surrender! I surrend-er!" Damon pulled away and she chuckled trying to catch her breath.

His face was inches away and she stopped breathing. He got up quickly and gave her his hand to catch so he could help her up.

Hermione stood there when someone knocked on her front door.


	6. Sing it out

Chapter Six : Before the dawn

Hermione smiled awkwardly and went to open the front door. When she did surprise struck her.

"Stefan." She whispered as the younger Salvatore smiled at her.

"We need to talk, Hermione." He whispered with a kind smile, Hermione smiled back with a nod. She liked Stefan, when he wasn't putting his nose in her business. He was nice, warm, somehow ... he reminded her of home,even now that she knew what he was.

"You've gotta be kidding me !" They both turned around to look at Damon, he threw his hands in the air and flashed a arrogant smile at his brother.

"Really,Stefan, can't let the girl like me more than you ?" He said it as a mean joke but Hermione felt the annoyance in his tone.

"This, really isn't any of your business brother, I came to talk with Hermione." Stefan raised his eyebrows and smiled. Hermione felt the beginning of a fight and she really didn't feel like being in the middle of it right now.

"If you're here to warn her about me being the bad guy, she already received the warning from Bonnie's "we-hate-Damon" fan club."

"Ha."

Hermione rolled her eyes and opened the door wider. "Come in Stefan." He smiled and stepped inside.

"You had the ability to keep him out of your house and choose to let him in? I do not understand you, British people and your need to be nice." Hermione rolled her eyes again and closed the door.

"Wait, what?" Stefan suddenly tensed up and she took a deep breathe. Those people needed to fix their family issues but she didn't feel like being there during their oh-so-needed therapy.

"Yup." Started Damon while pouring himself a glass of whiskey that he took a big sip of. "She know our dirty little secret brother, let's burn her alive." He downed the glass, living it empty on the table while blinking to Hermione on his last words.

She grunted. "Funny." She had to admit, the joke about her being a witch and them burning her like one was pretty good but knowing Damon's ego she decided to keep that to herself.

"I know." Stefan suddenly blurted out which made both Damon and Hermione look at him.

"What ?" Damon presented Hermione's inner surprise and fear. If he knew about her knowing about them, did he know about her? The sentence didn't make sense even in her head but she didn't mind. She had to make sure he didn't know about her being a witch, the word really didn't have to spread.

"How so?" Hermione whispered.

"Think about it.. 'Mione." Stefan said, with an emphasis on the 'Mione part. But Hermione only frowned, she felt like there was something she was suppose to know but couldn't quite put her finger on. It was like that part of her memory was sealed away, blackened, there was a closed door in front of it and she had seemed to have lost the key to it.

"I can't really, can I? Think of it." Hermione whispered, feeling her hands shake. Stefan's lips tightened. "No."

"Will someone tell me, what the hell is going on?" Damon suddenly called out while pouring himself a double portion of whiskey.

Stefan stepped closer to Hermione and she let out a breath she didn't know she was holding. "You'll see. You and me, both." She answered Damon as she looked straight into Stefan's hazel piercing eyes.

".Remember." He said, his voice smooth and steady, his eyes widened, his head leaned. Hermione suddenly felt like the room was moving.

"Oh my god." Was all she was able to whisper as she looked at Stefan with tears in her eyes. "Stefan.."

She suddenly remembered. She remembered everything. She remembered him.

She threw herself in his arms as tears rolled down her cheeks, Stefan's arms rapped around her and when she pulled away she looked deep into his eyes, her heart beating out of her chest. "Thank you. Thank you and.."

Stefan shook his head. "You don't need to say it."

"Yeah..." Suddenly they both turned around as they heard the sound of shattered glass.

"Sorry, I couldn't quite catch your attention otherwise. What the hell is going on?"

Hermione sat on the couch, both brothers looking at her. She locked a strand of hair behind her ear and inhaled deeply.

"I know Stefan.. I know Stefan from the war. He..He saved my life."

"Do explain." Damon insisted and she only nodded slightly. She smiled and looked at them, standing over her.

"I was on the run. I was alone. Ron had just left and Harry was on some secret mission he didn't even tell me about." She started playing with the ring on her finger as she kept talking. "I had nothing but me and my wand. I was running trough the forest, I was scared, frightened.. I was on the edge, I was hungry, scared, alone, lost. They were chasing me, I had managed to fight off most of them but I wasn't strong enough. Then Stefan showed up, out of nowhere. In a second all of the DeathEaters where dead, their bodies sprawled on the floor, some in blood, others just with snapped necks. Stefan was standing over them, he helped me up, he took care of me. He took me in, he ran with me, for a while, he was all I had. He was my only hope, then Harry found me but I didn't want to leave Stefan behind. So...he compelled me to forget, he said he would make sure to find me, he said when the time was right, I would remember." She stopped talking as a smile made itself on her face as she looked at Stefan.

They smiled at each other and just as she was about to say something, Damon started clapping. She frowned at him and his usual smirk came on.

"Well, how sweet. How typical. My little brother, the hero, steals hearts wherever he goes, saves people and changes lives. How heroic, well, excuse me while I go barf now. You two have your little reunion though."

Hermione looked at him with surprise as he walked out of the house.

Stefan breathe in. "Don't worry, that's typical Damon. I have some work get on, but I'll see you in the grill tonight, okay?"

Hermione nodded, still thinking about Damon. Stefan gave her a kiss on the cheek and then in the blink of an eye he was gone.

She walked out of the house and looked around for Damon but couldn't spot him.

xxx

It was already getting dark and Hermione was getting ready for the grill. She let the straightener down on her bed and walked to the mirror. She was dressed in a blue summer dress, with little dots and a belt going around her waste that made her look even skinnier. Her hair was dead straight, falling over her shoulder, she had black eyeliner and a little mascara.

Maybe she was overdoing it, but she had her memory back and it was nice to know she had one real friend here. Someone who knew her secret and.. Damon. She had totally forgotten about him. He knew her secret too but she had gone trough so much with Stefan, now, he was her only reminder of her old life, her only light in her new one.

She ran downstairs putting on her jacket, she grabbed her car keys and quickly ran to her car and drove to the grill.

When she arrived she saw Stefan sitting on a table with Caroline,Tyler,Bonnie,Matt and Elena. She walked to them and sat down.

"Soooo, can I see your wand?' Suddenly Caroline blurted out.

"Caroline !" Bonnie exclaimed and the blonde vampire raised her eyebrows.

"What !" Hermione chuckled.

"Stefan told us." Bonnie whispered. "He told us that you are a witch and you guys know each other from before and you know about us all."

Hermione felt thankful to Stefan that he hand't shared the details about their meeting and everything else. He smiled apologetically to her. She smiled back.

"Yeah, and Caroline, maybe later, it's kinda crowded here." She laughed and Caroline nodded with excitement. They all laughed and Stefan put an arm around Hermione's shoulders.

"Hey, I might get jealous!" Elena said, while playfully smacking Stefan's shoulder. They all laughed.

"Hermione is like a sister to me, you have nothing to be jealous about." He reassured and then winked at Hermione as everyone started laughing harder. Stefan put his other arms around Elena and everyone smiled and started asking Hermione all kinds of questions, and for the first time in a while, she felt good.

"You guys are such an adorable scene, it's like watching an 90's movie entitled 'Little white house in the prairie' "

Hermione turned around to find Damon with his usual smirk. Everyone stopped talking and Elena took a deep breath.

"What do you want, Damon?" She asked as Hermione looked down.

"Well, sorry for crashing the party, you all a gang now? The big bad wolf isn't allowed in anymore? Ah, I get it, you have this hole "Stefan and the sidekicks" thing going on. Oh, gee, don't wanna mess with that." His sarcasm was bitter and everyone looked as if they were going to tell him to leave when Stefan spoke.

"That's enough, Damon." Stefan's voice was steady but everyone could feel the slight flash of anger in it.

"Well, I'll leave you to your usual things then, go save the day. If you get hungry, you might be lucky and catch a big, fat bunny..or pigeon." And with that he turned around and left.

Hermione got up. "Excuse me."

xxx

The rain outside was pouring, but that really want's a challenge for Hermione, not after having to live and hide on the woods. She ran outside.

She immediately spotted Damon walking away in the rain.

"Hey ! What the bloody hell?" She screamed as she ran after him in the rain. She felt as if for a split second she was soaking wet. Great, her hair would be a mess to deal with after.

"What ? Did Saint Stefan sent you here to check on me? Such a great heart he has, Stefan."

"Yeah, he does. Cut it out Damon, cut this crap. "

"You know, you remember that you know Stefan and suddenly you forget who's shoulder you were crying on last night."

"Are you for real,Damon? Stefan was there for me for months! Months! Are you really jealous that I'm friend with both?"

Damon suddenly threw his hands in the air. The rain was getting even stronger and they were both wet, her wet hair was falling in her eyes and she flipped it away as she ran her fingers trough it, her dress was sticked to her body and she felt a little cold.

"This is just unbelievable!" Damon scram.

"What again?" She rolled her eyes.

"Whenever I meet someone, Stefan is always first to know them."

"Seriously Damon? That's it? Wow, it must be so hard for you!" She started screaming too now, she was so angry, god, he was acting like a 5 year old child.

"Yes, Hermione ! Well, sorry for not being like Saint Stefan over there ! You know what, screw you!"

"Oh come on Damon, you have something to say? Say it ."

"Yeah okay, I'm so sick of everyone building an alter around Stefan, when he always gets what he wants. So what, he saves the day every now and then!"

"Well, it wouldn't kill to try and be nice, you know?"

In a flash Damon was in front of her, his hands on hers, his face was inches away. "I don't live to anyone's expectations. I don't need anyone."

Hermione suddenly saw more than just anger in his eyes, she saw pain. "That's good. Cuz if you keep it that way, you might just be left with no one in the end."

She stepped away from his grab, and looked at him in the eyes and saw the hurt. She turned around and started walking away in the rain. Just as she was about to turn to the other street she looked back to see him staring into nothing, with wide eyes. She bit her lip and walked away.

Maybe, just maybe.. there was hope for him.. maybe, just maybe, there was some humanity left.


	7. Redemption

First, I want to apologize for this chapter taking SOO long, i had, really a lot of things on my mind, but now I promies you all, I will update every week if possible, please keep leaving reviews , they are making me want to write even more. love you all xx

* * *

><p>Chapter Seven : Redemption<p>

Hermione woke up from the sound of a few birds that were melodically singing outside her window. She opened her eyes and stretched her arms as she ran to her closet. When she was done her hair was straight, she wore a pair of blue jeans and a purple strapless shirt, with black eyeliner. Okay. she might have overdone it, but she felt good.

She ran downstairs and poured herself a cup of coffee as she sat on a chair in the kitchen. She slowly drank her coffee as she looked outside the little window. For the first time since she moved here she had a friend. Someone to talk to. Someone who knew and understood her. She had Stefan know and ... Damon. She remember Damon. She had forgotten that he also knew her story. That he had been there for her. Before turning into his usual asshole-ish self.

She took her keys and got out of her house, just as she bumped into someone. She turned around and saw a tall, blonde guy, with eyes that had a sinister feeling attached to them.

"Sorry. I do that a lot. Bump into ... people." He said retorting on the last word.

Hermione nodded quickly and turned to walk away when she heard the guy's cold voice.

"You are Hermione,right?" She turned around frightened. Was he a DeathEater? Had they found her? Was all that running going to turn out to have been useless?

"Depends who is asking." She answered. She put her hand in her pocket where her shaking fingers found her phone. She pushed the green button knowing that the last person she had called had been Stefan, and was now ready to call him at any time.

"Someone interested. You're friends with Damon Salvatore, no?"

Hermione now frowned. Who was this guy? She had no idea where this was going.

"Yeah, I know him." The guy smiled. But not a warm smile. Not a smile you give to your friends. He smiled a smile full of hate. "Good." He mumbled.

Just as Hermione was going to push the green button and call Stefan she saw something change in the stranger's face. Red veins appeared all the way from his cheeks to his eyes. She took a deep breath and was about to run when she felt a pair of cold teeth, or more like fangs, sink deep into the skin on her neck. She felt the blood pour out and she could smell it's usual smell of metal. She felt as the sticky liquid traced down her neck. She felt a heaviness in her head and she became dizzy. Just before she passed out she saw something pull the guy away from her and then, moment later, her unconscious body hit the ground.

xxx

When Hermione opened her eyes she was in a car, but before she could even look at her surroundings her right hand shot up to her neck where she felt no wound. She inhaled deeply, as if she had been awoken from a terrible dream, but as if someone else had awoken her, pulling her, yelling to her, yaking her from it.

Some hair fell into her eyes and she moved it away looking to her left. Damon. He was silently sitting behind the wheel, driving away, to God knows where.

"Morning, I though you actually where going to sleep for a 100 years." He said with a crooked smile.

Hermione chuckled but felt pain in her ribs as she did. She closed her eyes for a moment, then re-opened them. She had forgoten what it was to speak with someone who knew the tales she did, except Harry, Ron knew fairytales of rabbits and pots and Merlin knows what else that just seemed unatural to her.

"Hmm.." She heard him say. She looked to her left once again, his black hair was falling into his deep blue eyes, his hands tight around the wheel, his eyes focused on the road, his lips curved in a demi smile.

"What?" She asked in a groggy, sleepy voice.

"Lastn time I was on a trip like this one, very similiar actually, I was with Elena, had just saved her from a psycho, when she woke up, might I say, she acted diffrent."

"How so?" Hermione forwned. Elena, of course. Why did she feel as if Damon was just pushing and trying to replace Elena with her? She didn't want to be someone's rebound, especially someone with so many issues.

"She got mad, started screaming, demending for me to get her home."

"She got mad for you saving her life?" Hermione asked silently. She saw hurt in his eyes, brought by the memorie, she could tell Elena had made much,much damage on him, she had made wounds that weren't going to be easy to heal.

"Yeah, that's her thing,kinda, getting mad at me." He laughed,but not a happy laugh, a cold, bitter laugh.

Hermione could clearly see he always felt second to Elena, he felt.. ah, her head hurt to much to even think about that.

"So,where are we going?" She placed herself in the seat better, looking at the road. It was beautiful, they were surrounded by trees, and little white houses..

Suddenly, Damon started pulling up the car into some parking spot. Before Hermione could even open her mouth to say something, Damon was opening her car door for her. She smiled awkwardly and got out. "Thanks."

They walked into some coffee shop and when they were inside Hermione smiled wildly. It was a sort of coffe shop/bakery. Everything was made of beautiful wood, the lights weren't white bvut yellow and it felt very compfy.

The two of them sat on a little table for two, Damon went to get things and when he came back he placed a mug full of hot chocolate, a plate with croassans and chocolate cake, waffles and a box with chocolate sweets in front of Hermione. She looked wildy. She took the mug in her hands and smelled vanilla wich made her smile.

She looked at Damon and raised her eyebrows.

"This is the ebst chocolate you will EVER taste in your whole life, trust me, I know." He winked and Hermione laughed.

They started eating and when Hermione had ate everything but the box of candy she looked at him. "Okay, this was probably the most delicious stuff I have ever tasted."

"Told ya." He smiled and for the first time Hermione saw what a warm smile he had.

She heard "Don't let it break your heart" by Coldplay being played in the backround and smiled, suddenly feeling like in one of those cheesy muggle movies she had grown to love,adore and cry over.

"Eat the chocolates now, they are fantastic." He said the word fantastic a bit diffrent.

"I bet,just tell me this.. are you trying to make me diabetic or just fat?" They both laughed and Hermione couldn't help but feel peaceful.. somewhat happy.

Damon got up and got back a few minutes later with two glasses of whine. "Thursty?"

"Whine, not blood I hope." She joked taking in the glass in between her warm fingers.

"Whine." He said as he took a sip from the red luquid.

"Who was that guy Damon? The one that attacked me? He asked for you."

Damon looked down. "He was.. an old friend of mine. It doesn't matter."

"It does if he is after me!"

"He isn"t, I'll deal with it, okay?" Hermione rolled her eyes, she felt like screaming at him, telling him that it was her life he was putting ont he risk but then she looked into his eyes where she saw something ushering her to back off.

"Okay." He looked surprised at her answer but smiled.

"Thank you for trusting me."

Hermione shook her head and smiled. "Dance with me?" He offered his hand.

She laughed at took his head, she felt her head was a little dizzy from the whine and they both started dancing around.

"So how did you find out about this place in the first place?" She asked as he spun her around.

"It was a cold december night, maybe a few days before Christmas.. Katherine had just chosen Stefan, again.. I was out on the street, there use to be a forest I had ran across, nearby, I felt tired and cold.. This little..pub, was the only light that was shinning trough the forest, trough the cold, trough the snow. I walked trough it unsure if it was a trap, I was being chased by some vampire back then. I walked into the warm atmosphere from the snow, and just spent the night drinking whine by the fire."

Hermione smiled warmly.

They kept on dancind, more like just standing in one place, holding each other and occasionally taking a few steps to the left or to the right, Damon started telling her stories, stories she had only heard about in fairytales, which was rich comming from a witch. but after all, she had only lived 18 years, and him hundreds and hundreds of years. He told her stories about knights and kings, princesses and werewolves, vampires and witches, stories from the past that fascinated Hermione so much that she didn't even feel the hours pass, as she listened to all those adventures he had lived. She felt mesmerized. it was like he was telling her secrets she had ached to know for her whole life, as if he was uncovering for her the secret of living, telling her the tales of the world, his eyes had seen more than her adventures brain had imagined for 18 years.

She couldn't stop looking at him, gasping, smiling, laughing, aching to know more.

"You two are lovely, but we are closing now.. would you like a room in the hotel above? It is also ours." Said the woman behind the counter, interrupting another of Damon's stories.

"Yes, we would like a room with two beds, please." He said and the woman gave him a small, blue key. "Thank you."

"A room?" Hermione wondered.

"It's too dangerous to drive back now, and honestly, I am too tired." he answered.

"Two beds?"

"I thought you would prefer that, but if you're into sharing one with me, that would be absolutely fine." He shot back with a seductive smile.

"Ah-ha-ha-ha, no thanks." They both took their stuff and went upstairs.

Damon turned ther lights on and Hermione smiled, the room was just as nice as the little coffee underneat.

"Dips on the bed next to the window!" She climed and jumped on the bed.

"Are you 6?" he asked laughing at her.

Hermione rolled her eyes, shoved her tongue out and answered "No,actually, I am 7."

"Ooooookay, I think you need some sleep."

Hermione frowned and pushed herself under the covers.

xxx

She woke up late at night, she could see it was only minutes before dawn,she was jsut about to get back to sleep when she saw that Damon wasn't in his bed. She started to panic when she saw him staning on the balcony.

She frowned, put a jumper on and went outside next to him. She stared into the sky, it was beautiful, a mixture of pink, yellow, orange, red and blue. She inhaled deeply, it felt so out of danger, so calm here.

"What are you doing?" She asked looking to Damon on her right.

"Why are you acting this way ?" He didn't look at her, instead, he kept his focus on the sky, his eyes shimmering and yet cold in the same time.

"What way?" She almost whispered, feeling like a little kid that was playing with a sculpture made of glass, one so fragile that with one move it could break and shatter into a million pieces, this reminded her a lot of her relationship with Damon, her life in general.

"As if I am human." He replied coldly, she could see he was in deep though, he yet looked as if for a moment he could kill someone and yet he had never looked so vulnerable to her.

"Because.. because you are." She mumbled, feeling as if that glass sculpture was sliping trough her fingers.

This time he looked at her, his eyes stormy and grey, confused and paintfully beautiful. "No, I'm not."

"Yes, yes you are. Don't you understand? Humanity isn't defined by weather you have a beating heart or not? I have met humans that were bigger monsters, that were less human than you.. it isn't all black and white, Damon, that's what you need to understand, that's where you're doing it all wrong, there isn't just good and bad, there is so much more, it isn't that simple.. I.. i think there is humanity left in you, and when I speak to you, I speak to the human you, not the murderer you."

He didn't say anything for a few seconds, thinking this trough. "They're the same person."

"No, they're now." She said silently, the sculpture was still hole,for now. She turned around, the light breeze hitting her face, she got inside and without looking back she smiled. "There is still something left in you that is worth fighting for."

"We should go." He said as he pushed pass her and took the key to the room, exiting it quickly.


	8. She acts like summer and talks like rain

Okaayyyy, first I wanna thank everyone who reviewed, those reviews keep me going, and I wanna give special thanks to **SecretNerdGal3.14159265**

what you said meant a hole lot to me and it really made my day ! And I usually have an auto correct but I was on another computer, sorry. Anyway, I won't be updating for

a week cuz I am going to to sea side with a bunch of friends, so this is the last chapter until the 28 of July which isn't that far. I love you all, thank you so much xx

* * *

><p>Chapter Eight : She acts like summer and walks like rain<p>

The ride back home was silent, Hermione kept staring out the window watching as the trees were nothing but a green blur because of the car speed. She rolled her as at Damon who seemed to be ignoring her helplessly.

She suddenly heard something on the radio and within seconds she reminded herself what song it was, one of her favorites.

Without even asking she quickly turned the music up loud enough to not be able to hear her thoughts. She opened her window, letting the wind blow in her hair, put her feet on the board in front of her and as the car drove she suddenly started singing.

**_"She acts like summer and walks like rain_**  
><strong><em>Reminds me that there's time to change, hey, hey<em>**  
><strong><em>Since the return from her stay on the moon<em>**  
><strong><em>She listens like spring and she talks like June, hey, hey"<em>**

Damon looked at her with raised eyebrows and she laughed melodically face-palming herself with a smile. "I love this song." She stated in an embarrassed voice.

"I can see that." He looked at her as if to prove his point. She only rolled her eyes, then shut them and started half shouting, half screaming.

**_"Tell me, did you fall from a shooting star_**  
><strong><em>One without a permanent scar<em>**  
><strong><em>And did you miss me while you were looking for yourself out there "<em>**

She started laughing hysterically when Damon tried to shoot her mouth. "Please never go on one of those TV shows where you sing." He whispered which made her laugh even harder.

"Bollocks, I can sing!" She slapped him across the shoulder and took her hand out of the window, making a wave with it as the cold, fresh wind hit her face, making her cheeks blush.

**_"Told a story about a man who is too afraid to fly so he never did land_**  
><strong><em>Tell me did the wind sweep you off your feet<em>**  
><strong><em>Did you finally get the chance to dance along the light of day"<em>**

She was just ready for another snide remark from Damon but when she looked at him he was only staring at her with a smile. Suddenly Hermione felt the sensation of using a portkey, it was like something in her stomach was crumbling just because of the way he looked at her. He looked at her with such a mesmerizing stare, as if she was a beautiful painting in an expensive gallery that he could never visit quite long enough to satisfy himself yet enough to make him keep going in there.

"What?" She asked trough another laugh.

He narrowed his eyes and turned his stare back to the road. "Nothing."

Hermione frowned with a pout and turned back to the road herself, closing her eyes, letting the air blow her hair backwards.

She loved being on the road ever since she was a little kid. For her being on the road had some sort of other magic, it was like it didn't matter where she was coming from nor where she was heading to, as if all that was really important was the travel itself. Life was quite like that in some way, she figured, or at least it should be. She loved travelling, just listening to music, closing her eyes and letting the sun bathe her face. She was more of a free spirit than most people figured actually. She usually even got quite sad when the journey was over and she was arriving at her destination, it was kind of like the sensation people get when they leave the theater, have you ever felt that? As if as the movie is going on, you enter and word entirely different from your own, you look at other people and their problems, you watch their adventures and worries, you experience their sorrow and feeling, their happiness and relationships. While the movie goes on it is as if everything outside those walls isn't real, as if your problems and you alone are left outside the room and there at the spot all that matters is what is developing in front of your eyes, so you take it personally, you cry or laugh, maybe both, you feel what's going trough the movie much more emotionally than you should. And then when the movie is over and you see the credits rolling on the black screen, when you exit the cinema, you feel a kind of sadness overwhelm you, as if the magic you have felt for that hour or so is somewhat gone and you are forced to go back to reality, to go back to your own problems and worries, to your own world where 'happily every after' isn't so reassuring.

_Can you imagine no love, pride, deep-fried chicken_  
><em>Your best friend always sticking up for you even when I know you're wrong<em>  
><em>Can you imagine no first dance, freeze dried romance five-hour phone<em>  
><em>Conversation<em>  
><em>The best soy latte that you ever had, and me<em>

The song kept going on, even though Hermione had now stopped laughing and singing. That is why she loved that song so much, it reminded her of her dreams and lusts.

She had always dreamed of being extraordinary, she knew she was a witch and all but she meant as character. She had always felt as if other girls had something special in them, simply in their behavior, in their way of thinking, in their point of view, in their attitude, something that she never quite found of fancied in herself.

She wasn't the kind of girl someone would write a song about, or compose a sonnet, or write a book or make a movie with her in the lead role. She was the best friend, never the amazing girl in the title. She was nothing but a bookworm, a girl who only ever found love in books and songs. She was quite good at imagining what it would be like to be one of those girls, who everyone fell for, but she simply wasn't it. She believed in love, she just didn't believe it would happen to her.

xxx

Damon pulled up in front of her house. Before she could even close her window he was standing in front of her door, opening it for her.

"Thanks." she smiled as she got out.

She started walking to her door and just as her hand was on the doorknob she turned around. "Should I be worried about that guy?" She asked honestly as Damon was just about to get in his car.

"Nah, I'll take care of the bastard." Hermione nodded and took a step inside and just as she was about to close the door behind her she turned around.

"Oh and Damon," her voice was steady and cool

He himself turned around to look at her, with a worried impression. "Yes?"

"Thank you," he looked at her confused "I had a great time." She whispered, her voice almost blown away by the wind and seconds before he could even answer she closed the door behind her.

_Tell me did the wind sweep you off your feet_  
><em>Did you finally get the chance to dance along the light of day<em>

Later that day Hermione started getting dressed to go to the bar and see the others. She looked at herself in the mirror, she was wearing tight black jeans and a dark blue t-shirt. She was just about to leave when she noticed something in her reflection in the mirror.

Her warm fingers ran across her neck, where she had been bitten wasn't a wound but there still was a scar,of two little wholes. She frowned and took a black silk scarf that she gently wrapped around her neck.

When she made sure her scar wasn't noticeable she ran downstairs, took her bag and keys and got out of the house.

At first when she got inside the Grill she smiled, she had started too feel pretty comfortable there. She saw Elena waving at her and sat at their table.

In about an hour the only people left on the table with Hermione were Elena and Stefan.

"Nice scarf.. mind if I take a look at it ?" Asked Elena silently as she put her hand out so Hermione could place her scarf there.

"I'm actually kinda cold, I'll give it to you tomorrow, kay?" She shot back quickly with a fake smile.

Stefan narrowed his eyes and Hermione and frowned. "C'mon 'Mione, you won't be that cold for just a few minutes.."

"I actually have a cold, so no.. I promise to pass it to you tomorrow though." She whispered definitive and just as she was about to get up and leave Elena reached out and grabbed her silk scarf in between her fingers, pulled it away and Hermione instinctively rushed her hair to cover her scar.

Elena knelled next to Hermione and brushed her hair away. "Vampire bite." She whispered silently as she eyed Stefan.

"Did- did Damon bite you?" He asked in a cold voice.

Suddenly Hermione's eyes went wide. "What !" She half-screamed, half-whispered.

"You can tell us.. He used to compel and bite Caroline and-" Before Elena could finish her sentence Hermione felt anger rush trough her.

"Oh my God, no! How can you say that? Shouldn't you know better that he's changed?" She looked at Stefan who looked down ashamed. "And just for the record, Damon didn't bite me, he saved my life!" She exclaimed as she took her bag angrily, got up and left.

She felt the cold air hit her hot cheeks and let out a breath she didn't know she was holding. She placed her bag over her shoulder and started walking towards her house as she suddenly heard food steps behind her.

"What do you want Stefan?" She turned around but saw no one so she just rolled her eyes and kept walking until she heard something move in the bushes behind her.

She turned around again to face the plants where the noise had came from. "You know, it isn't me you should apologize to." She said until the noise stopped.

She suddenly stood on alert, she quickly dived her hand in her bag trying to take a grasp on her wand until she realized she had forgotten it on her bed.

Panic swooped in and she turned around and started walking away with heavy breaths until she heard more noise, she was just about to start running when someone appeared in front of her.

She started shaking as she realized it was the same guy that had attacked her, the same platinum blond hair..

"Last time we got so abruptly interrupted." He whispered in a cold voice that sent shivers down Hermione's spine.

She saw as he started slowly talking towards her and before she could even think about running she felt his ice cold teeth sink into the flesh on her neck. She felt pain in the place where her neck and shoulders combined and felt the urge to scream. For the split second that he took to smile she kicked him between the legs, he took a step back and that split second gave her a chance to start running.

She ran into the forest that was before her, she felt the blood dripping from her neck and the tears falling from her eyes. She felt as if there was nothing harder than running and hiding in that very moment due to the blood loss she was experiencing she felt her head going dizzy. Before she could think of what to do she fell on the floor hiding behind a big, old rock that was covered with ivy.

"Come out, come out, wherever you are." The vampire sang with a bitter laugh.

It shouldn't be too hard for him to find her,even she could smell her blood and it was a smell that she hated.

She could feel him standing behind her so she got up and faced him with a cold expression.

"Nice run puppet, do you practice often?" He asked in a mock.

"Yeah." Was all she could manage to say, she could feel more and more blood dripping from her wound and she could feel herself getting weaker with every passing second that felt like a century to her.

"Let's run some more." He said which made her frown, what was he playing ?

"I give you 10 seconds ahead puppet." He whispered in a sick voice.

Hermione looked at him bewildered.

"10..9..8.."

She didn't need reminding. She started running as fast as she could manage, she ran for her life, she felt more and more blood dripping, she could hear him counting, he was at 6 now and she ran faster if that was even possible.

_And are you lonely looking for yourself out there? _

__She could hear an owl somewhere in the distance, he was down to 4 now.

_And that heaven is overrated_  
><em>Tell me, did you fall from a shooting star<em>  
><em>One without a permanent scar<em>

__She could swear her heart was beating louder than any sound she had ever heard. Just as she was about to hide behind a tree she realized he had stopped counting. Had he given up? No, no way. He had simply decided to give her less time.

She though twice about hiding and started running again, faster than she could remember running, she felt like she was in the war all over again.

She ran and ran and ran and she suddenly pushed into something hard, and soon realized in was someone's chest. That's it. That was it. He had caught her. It was over for her. She felt more and more tears fall down her cheeks.

Suddenly she realized she wasn't dead yet, she looked up with fear of opening her own eyes, she counted to three in her mind and then shut them open and felt pure happiness.

She cried harder into his chest. "It's over,shh, it's over, everything's going to be okay, you're okay." He whispered as he wrapped his hands tightly around her.

She knew she was about to pass out as he took her in his hands and she wrapped her hands around his neck. "You said you'll take care of it." She whispered in pain.

"I just did." He answered steady. "I'm so sorry." She could see pain in his blue eyes.

"Damon..." She whispered silently. She felt them moving.

"I'm taking you home now, I'm so sorry, this was all my fault." She felt him place a light kiss on her forehead and closed her eyes calmly.

And_ did you miss me while you were looking for yourself out there_


	9. Heart on fire

Heyyy guys, sorry I'm a few days late but I had to get some rest after the vacation, that's one week I have barely slept haha So, I wanna thank you all for the reviews and for making me keep going ! I loved the fact that you shared what you would like to see in the future and I already know what to do and I really hope you will like it. I love you all xx

* * *

><p>Chapter Nine : With a heart on fire<p>

Hermione was conscious now not knowing where she was nor what had happened. Again.

She could smell the light scent of tea coming towards her and when she finally opened her eyes and saw a bunch of pair of eyes staring at her. The last ones she met was far in the back of the room and they also were bright blue. She looked at them, smile already spreading across her face as if to show she was thankful and pretty happy she was alive, but instead of smiling back to her the owner of those shimmering blue eyes only looked away as if she was something despicable to look at.

She frowned but instead of having time to even think about what was going on she felt a pair of strong arms wrap around her. She stiffened a chuckle and hugged him back.

"I'm fine." She breathed out in between bear hugs.

Stefan smiled at her warmly, pulled away, kissed her on her forehead and got up. After everyone present decided needed to hug her and smother her to death did so they all got up and left since it was about 2 o`clock in the morning.

Hermione looked trough the window, it was as dark as it can be outside and she could hear the owls. _One of them could be Hedwig..hah. _She though sadly to herself.

"Thank you." She finally said looking at the only person left.

He was standing next to the window in the kitchen, his hand on the kitchen table for support and his eyes lost deep in the woods.

"Thank you?" He mimicked. "Thank you! What on earth are _you _thanking me for Granger?"

"For saving my life?" She looked confused.

"Well, if it wasn't for me your life wouldn't need much saving, now would it?"

She snickered at this. "Right, because my life has _never _been in danger before, eh?"

"Drink your tea." He simply said in a cold voice looking away.

Hermione rolled her eyes like a 5 year old and mimicked his expression in a much more childish way. "I'm more of a coffee person."

"But-"

"-But I'm British? Yeah, I know. I also don't favor stereotypes, _you _should know what that's like." She smiled happily at the fact she was shutting him up quite easily and he only rolled his eyes.

"Funny." At this she broke into laughter and sooner or not he couldn't help but smile at her rolling his eyes again.

Suddenly Damon stood on edge. "Hear that?" He looked at Hermione alert.

She shook her head and was just about to say she hadn't heard anything when Damon was outside seconds later.

"What the-" She heard him say and she quickly leave the tea pot on the kitchen table as she ran outside after him.

It was dark and cold, only the wind passing silently trough the tree leaves making any noise, she could also hear little animals deep into the forest. The only light shinning upon her and letting her see anything was the moon, it was a full moon and Hermione smiled, it reminded her of Lupin.

She suddenly saw Damon and.. Damon ? What the bloody hell?

Hermione walked closer only to confirm what she had seen. Damon was right there, look at himself. He looked confused and the other Damon or well, she didn't know which one was who, but the other one was grinning bitterly.

"What is this?" Suddenly one of the two turned around to Hermione, she knew it was the Damon she knew.

"Um.. I have no idea.. Your long lost twin maybe?" She hid a laugh and he only looked at her angrily.

"I don't know! Why do you all expect me to know everything ?"

Damon took tree branch and tried to hit 'himself' with it but it only passed trough, as if the other him was a ghost.

"What the hell is this!" He screamed in rage.

Suddenly the other him smiled, red veins appearing all the way to his eyes, fangs growing out and his lips became red of blood that was dripping down his chin.

Hermione saw as the real Damon's expression became frightened.

She walked next to him, took a step in front of him too observe the ' other Damon' when suddenly he disappeared, turning into a dark cloud that spun around in front of Hermione and now instead of another Damon she was facing herself.

Hermione's eyes widened as soon as she recognized how the other 'she' was dressed, the way 'she' looked.. it was the same was she looked the night she had gotten tortured in the Malfoy residence.

She felt a shiver run down her spine as the other her smile the cruelest smile Hermione had ever seen on her own lips. The other she smiled even wider at Hermione's bewildered look as she started clutching on her sleeve, she pulled it up where at her wrist stood a bloody mark saying 'mudblood'. Hermione gave a painful look and felt panic sweep over her as the other she was now clutching her other sleeve, and when she pulled it up Damon saw 3 horizontal cuts on her wrist. He looked over to Hermione who was standing there, unable to move as if someone had just told her the world was ending and she would die in 2 seconds.

Hermione pulled her wand out as soon as she gained composure of herself and looked at the other she who was now loking broken, with eyes full of tears, looking confused and alone and scared. Hermione remember when that actually was her,when she looked like that every time she would look in the mirror.

Damon watched as she mumbled some spell and white light came out of her wand and the mirage that was for way too long in front of them disappeared along with the white light that shot down.

"What was that? Why did it look like us? Why **was **it us? And what was on your wris-"

"Nothing. That wasn't me remember? That was a boggart, sort of, it's something in the magical world that people send as a threat, it's suppose to look like you and make you go mental, it does horrible things, it talks to you and makes you believe you are evil or insane. Don't worry it won't come back." She said in a cold tone.

"You looked pretty shaken when you saw the one that looked like you?" He said being unsure that Hermione was telling him the truth.

"Yeah, well it got to me before I realized what it was." She bit her lower lip so much that she felt as if blood was pouring out. "I'm going to bed now. Goodnight Damon." She turned around without another word and practically ran into her house.

She ran up the stairs and jumped on her bed as the hot tears streamed down her cheeks. She started sobbing so hard that she cried into her pillow to avoid any unwanted noise.

She knew she shouldn't have lied to Damon about the Boggart, but she couldn't. If she had told him what it atactually was he would know.. he would now about the torture about everything she had been trough. He already knew about the war and all that but it was different to see her so..broken. So fragile, so weak as the boggart had shown her. She didn't want that, it was too personal, it hit too close to home.

She saw the black crow on her window and stopped breathing, not making a sound, she buried her head in her pillow pretending to be asleep and a few moments later she heard the sound of wings and when she looked up the cost was clear. She closed her window with a 'thumb' and went back under her cover, pulling her knees to her chest, feeling like a little kid hugged in a ball, crying for doing something wrong. Her pillow was wet from tears and she closed her eyes so fiercely that it hurt her. She cried herself to sleep feeling safe and collect under her warm blankets.

xxx

The next morning she got up like any other morning, made herself a cup of hot coffee, had a bagel for breakfast and went to get herself dressed. She was wearing blue jeans and a grey large pullover. She looked at herself in the mirror. Her hair was messy, her eyes were swollen and red, her lips cracked and she had huge, dark bags under her eyes. Pretty much, she looked like someone who hand't had sleep since weeks and cried a hole lot.

She took her little black bag that contained all her make-up and slowly and carefully put some corrector under her eyes and then some powder to hide her bags even more, she then put some black, dark make up on her eyes to make them look more awake and less sad, then some lipstick to make her lips look full and then she took a few minutes to smile in front of the mirror. Damn.

xxx

She walked down the halls silently as she herd the bell ring. Another day was gone. She walked over to her car in the parking lot when she felt something in her pocket, the mirror. Harry was calling her. Oh, great.

She took it out and just seconds before Harry appeared in it she could see how tired and empty she looked, like a shell containing nothing.

" 'Ello." He said with a smile.

"Hey." She tried her best to smile back, but he was him.

"What's wrong 'Mione?" His smile quickly disappeared and was replaced with a worried look and a frown.

"Nothing." She fake another smile, an ever bigger one, and an ever faker one.

"Sure, and Snape is the sweetest person I know." At this Hermione shot a sincere smiled and chuckled lightly.

"I was thinking I could visit you sometimes, me and Ron that is. Would you like that?"

This made Hermione smile warmly. "Oh sure, I would love that, I've missed you so badly. When will you be coming?"

"Well.. erm- tonight." He smiled a smile that said 'oh please don't kill me'

"Harry ! You know I don't like surprised like that, I am really happy you will be coming but tonight? How will I make everything ready and-"

"Oh shush it Granger." He chuckled. "We'll be there by 10." The mirror went back to ordinary again and Hermione sighted getting in her car.

xxx

Hermione was watching some stupid soap-opera about a girl that had a baby at 19 from some guy she was in love with that turns out to be her lost long brother and their mother says that the baby must die.. and Hermione turned the stupid TV off before she had to watch more of that nonsense. At the same she heard a knock on her door.

She got up and when she answered the door Damon gave her his usual smirk. "Hey."

"Hi." She mumbled confused as to why he was there in the first place.

"You and will be taking a walk with me. In the forest. Let's go." He said narrowing his eyes.

Hermione was just about to object when he gave her a 'do it or i will drag you out screaming and hitting instead' look. She shrugged and took her jacket and keys closing the door behind them figuring that it was 8 and she had 2 hours until Harry and Ron arrived.

xxx

In a few minutes with the car Damon pulled up and they started walking deep into the forest.

"Sooo?" Hermione broke the silence.

"So?"

"So, why did you drag me out here?" She asked.

"I just felt like it." He shrugged.

"Oh, you just.. felt like it? Well that's good." She said sarcastically.

They kept walking for about an hour more, talking about the stupidest things, she told him about her teachers in Hogwarts, about Malfoy and the ferret incident (at which he didn't miss to comment how a vampire 'incident' might have been more suitable) she told him about her favorite subject and her hate of Devination, she told him about her parents, her cat, her house, her favorite book and movie about whatever thought ran trough her mind.

They reached a lake and Hearmione watched happily as the water was smooth, not a wave, not a bird, not a fish nor a leaf, nothing moving it and then suddenly she was the thing moving it.

Before she could realize what was going on she was in the water herself. She screamed as her warm body hit the ice cold water.

She saw Damon suppressing a chuckle as she splashed water around her like a little kid and crossed her arms in front of her chest. It wasn't deep and she could step in the lake, the water up to her shoulders maybe even a little less but the water was so cold that she felt as if when she would get out she would be a walking corpse or made of ice.

"Damon, I order you to get in the water yourself!" She shouted which made him chuckle.

"Yeaaaaaaaaah, sure, that's gonna happen."

"Get it or-or.. or I won't get out!"

"What does that have to do with me?"

"Fine, come help me get out."

He walked towards her and she took his hand, then suddenly she jumped on his back and got his shirt all wet, then she smacked him across the head so hard that when he spun around she fell back in the water laughing.

"Oh no, you didn't just do that!" He looked at her angry and she nodded happily.

Before she could even start swimming or running away he got inside the water and pulled her by her chest. She started screaming hysterically and then he turned her around so she could be facing him. He raised his eyebrows in a way to tell her that screaming isn't going to do anything for her.

"HELP I AM GETTING DROWNED BY A VAMPIRE!" His eyes widened

"What THE HELL are doing?"

She laughed even harder and he suddenly pushed her head under water. When she managed to get back to the surface she tried to do the same to him but it was out and clear it was a lost cause.

He pulled her close by her chest and they were both still laughing until she realized at what a close proximity they were to each other. She could feel his cold breath on her, and he could hear her heart beating fast.

She pulled away "We should go." And before he could say anything else she started swimming to the coast suddenly very happy that the water was so cold.

xxx

The walk back to the car was silent but the ride back home not so much since Hermione turned the radio up again and started singing once more.

"The more I see the less I know, the more I know the more I like to let it go,Heyy Oh, In between the cover of another perfect wonder where it's so white as snow."

"Please don't." Damon said in a serious look and they both burst out laughing.

They walked to her front door, both still wet to the core. "Coffee?" He asked fully aware of what a caffeine addict Hermione was.

"Yes! Coffee sounds perfect, at this point I am so frozen that hot chocolate sounds really appealing as well." She laughed lightly and unlocked the front door, they walked in and before she could even say another word she saw two boys, one with raven black hair and one ginger, sitting on her couch, looking at her.

For them, she had just walked in her house at the dark of night, with a stranger, and both being wet.

"Hey." Harry broke the silence awkwardly

"Harry, Ron." She said still processing. Then suddenly a smile sprawled across her face, "Harry! Ron!" She screamed and ran to the two boys who hugged her arms open at the same time. She felt tears in her eyes and the three of them hugged, she felt at place, she felt loved, she felt like herself at 100 %.

"Harry, Ron, this is Damon." The two boys looked at the third boy in the room, well men was more like it. He was tall, with black hair and light blue eyes andhe was what more girls would consider drop-dead-gorgeous, or so Ginny would say.

"Nice to meet you." Damon said unsure if it was true.

"You too. We're from Hermione's old boarding school from Switzerland, first time in the states!" Ron said energetically.

"Really? Cause my first guess was Hogwarts." He smirked.

The two boys stood there shocked and then suddenly their features change and they looked at Hermione who shrugged guiltily.

xxx

Damon went in the kitchen 'to make some coffee' but he was fully aware this was a pretext for Hermione to get a chance to talk to Harry and Ron privately. Even though, well he could hear every word, every breathe, every heartbeat.

"So what, you're dating now?" He heard on of the boys say.

"What? No! Oh boy, Ron!" Hermione answered instantly.

"How can you tell a muggle about Hogwarts 'Mione? This could put you in awfully big danger." The other one spoke, Harry.

"Well.. He isn't.. a muggle, it is.. not exactly."

"He's a which?" The red head spoke.

"Not exactly."

"Then..? Carry on."

He heard Hermione take in a big breath. "He's a vampire, sort of."

"Sort of?"

"Well.. no. He's a vampire."

" 'Mione !" He heard both the boys shout in the same voice.

"What!?"

"You're dating a vampire!" Ron cried out.

"I am NOT dating anyone! And even if I were it would most certainly be none of your business! I didn't approve Lavender but you still wen out with her, right Ron?"

"Yeah, Lavender was clingy, not a murderer!"

Even from the kitchen Damon could feel Hermione roll her eyes.

"He's not a murderer." At this Damon smiled to himself. But was he not? Since she had come to town he hadn't killed anyone, yes but he still felt no remorse, he felt no guilt when he took a life. That certainly was not human.

He got back into the living room and left the coffee mugs and for the rest of the night he could feel Harry and Ron's stares on him.

xxx

Hermione closed the door behind Harry and Ron and looked at Damon who was sitting on the kitchen counter with a coffee mug between his hands.

"I am _so _sorry!" She immediately said.

"It's fine, they're just a bit overprotective." He said sarcastically and chuckled slightly.

"Yeah, just a bit." She sat next to him and took a sip out of her own coffee. It felt nice. Suddenly she realized she was still wearing the same wet clothes.

"Will it be okay if I just went to change clothes?" She asked silently and Damon nodded drinking some more of his coffee.

She came down a few minutes later, her hair wet since she had took a quick shower, she was wearing black short shorts and a white shirt with buttons. She sat on the counter next to him once more and they talked for a few more hours and she didn't even know what about.

They talked about what it felt like to be a vampire and to have transform when those red veins appeared, Damon said it felt empowering, as if you had no weakness, there was a sudden surge of energy and you felt invincible.

Hermione told him what it felt like to use a patronus, how safe it made you feel, how sincere and strong.

They talked about the way they looked at the world, about how much Damon despised people, not because of the fact they had weaknesses but because they let their weaknesses get the best of them, he despised human cruelty and Hermione talked about how much she hated society.

He told her about his relationship with his father and she told him about how much everyone had made fun of her when she was a kid because of the fact she was a mudblood.

He stole away her breath by telling her stories of what the Earth looked like before humans destroyed it entirely, about what London looked like back when women wore big, long dressed and man bragged about the new horses they had bough.

She on the other hand mesmerized him with stories of how you can fly on a broom, or how you can change your appearance, or what it felt like to ride a dragon, or how magical it was to dance and put a spell on the stars so it feels like they're falling on you.

Hourse after midnight Hermione felt her eyes slowly closing. Damon's arms wrapped around her and carried her to her bed, he laid her down and was just about to step away when she pulled him in by his neck and her lips slowly touched his, at first gently then she deepened the kiss just a little bit and then she pulled away. "Your my weakness and I'm letting you get the best of me, so you can despise me now." She whispered silently and then she drifted away to sleep.


End file.
